


Not cold space, nor alien stars

by spockside



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Aftermath, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, One True Pairing, Post-Movie(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-30
Updated: 2012-06-30
Packaged: 2017-11-08 22:09:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/448074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spockside/pseuds/spockside
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony felt smooth hands on his broken skin, touching his shoulders gently, steadying him under the spray. It was Pepper, of course, glorious, living, breathing Pepper, standing in his shower in her pale blouse and skirt, heedless of the water soaking it and her hair, turning him so she could hold his face still and bring her mouth to his.</p>
<p>Set immediately after Marvel's The Avengers movie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not cold space, nor alien stars

Tony staggered into the executive elevator (the one that bypassed the lobby) and slapped the button for the level of his private rooms in Stark Tower. Well, “A” Tower now, he supposed. Fury had been yelling at him over the comm about reporting to the helicarrier for medical and debriefing. Tony had said something exceptionally pointed about taking the rest of the week off with hazard pay, after which his teammates had unexpectedly aided him by ignoring Fury’s demands that they bring him in.

 

He’d had to endure the dismantling of the Mark VII suit without the assembly bots, right there amid the ruins as he could barely move while it was on. Clint jacked a couple of the Chitauri speeders, with  which Thor had helped Tony haul the pieces back to the Tower, and they all went back to confront Loki.

 

(They went for shawarma after. The shop owners were so happy to have been spared the worst that they brought out all the food they had left and let them chow their way through it. Thor parked Loki in a corner with Mjolnir holding him down like a paperweight.)

 

Tony didn’t know where everyone else actually was now. He just wanted to get to a quiet room and a phone line, so he could make that call to Pepper. As he leaned on the side of the elevator, JARVIS’ suave tones sounded like music to his ears.

 

“Welcome home, sir.”

 

“Good to be home,” Tony replied limply. “All personnel got out okay, I hear.”

 

“Yes, sir. Evacuation was complete before our visit from Loki and Dr. Banner. However, once the all clear was given, a maintenance crew and security detail came back on duty.”

 

“Are you  - “ Tony stood up straight, alarmed. “Is it safe? They’re on the lower levels, right?”

 

“They are currently operating on levels one through ten, sir. The only damage to the Tower edifice was on the upper deck. Mr. Sanders is collecting a team of engineers to evaluate the rest of the structure, and he has reported that he expects the building will check out as stable.”

 

“Well, if Sanders isn’t freaking out, I guess I don’t have to,” Tony muttered to himself, then he said to JARVIS, “Make a note, the people who came back are getting triple overtime until further notice.”

 

“Very good, sir.”

 

The elevator deposited Tony at his floor and he headed for the door to his suite.

 

“Have you heard anything from Ms. Potts?”

 

“Not yet, sir. I have attempted contact several times without success; her cell phone appears to be switched on, but no one answers.”

 

Damn, thought Tony. “Any idea where she is, JARVIS?”

 

“I’m afraid not, sir. I’m unable to ascertain the location and status of the Stark jet, due to a lockdown of air traffic communications. I will continue to attempt contact.”

 

“There’s always something,” Tony yawned. “Thank you, JARVIS.”

 

By then he’d made it as far as the bathroom, peeling off articles of clothing as he went and dropping them on the floor. He cranked the water pressure and temperature in the shower, stepped under the ensuing torrent, and just stood there. Mentally he began to inventory his injuries, starting with a cut on his crown that stung as the water sluiced over it, moving through the list of sore spots, cuts, bruises, and abrasions. Nothing seemed to be broken; the armor had held.

 

The heat and moisture melted a little of the pain and tension in Tony’s body, leaving a weariness beyond any he’d known. Even slogging through the deserts of Afghanistan hadn’t taken this much out of him. He leaned his head on the shower wall, too tired and battered to reach for soap or turn off the water.

 

He could have stood there for minutes…hours…days…

 

Then there were smooth hands on his broken skin, touching his shoulders gently, steadying him under the spray. It was Pepper, of course, glorious, living, breathing Pepper, standing in his shower in her pale blouse and skirt, heedless of the water soaking it and her hair, turning him so she could hold his face still and bring her mouth to his, almost carefully.

 

Her hands smoothed his hair back, and Tony brought his hands to rest on her waist. Eventually he felt Pepper reach past him to turn off the water; he opened his eyes to watch her step back and pull off her ruined clothes. She dropped them on the floor of the shower, until she was as naked as Tony.

 

Pepper reached for two towels on the counter and turned to Tony, began to dry him off,  starting with his hair. Tony felt he should say something, though he wasn’t sure how.

 

“Pepper – “

 

“Shhh,” she said and kissed him, then went back to her task. When they were both damp but not dripping, she took his hand and led him out of the bathroom.

 

The lights were low in the bedroom and the bed was turned down. Tony felt pulled between the seductively soft horizontal surface and the seductively beautiful woman holding his hand. He wasn’t sanguine at the moment as to pursuing anything the least bit energetic just now…but he could go for some snuggling, at least.

 

As it turned out, he didn’t have to decide. Pepper got into bed and pulled him down beside her, under the covers.

 

“Pepper, I – “

 

What was he going to say? What would he have said on his one-way flight, if she’d answered the phone? He looked over at her, helplessly, and she said it for him.

 

“You love me.”

 

Tony nodded. Pepper smiled and told him, “You can tell me tomorrow. Sleep.”

 

Tony felt her lips on his once more and managed to wrap his arms around her. His eyes drifted shut, not on a view of cold space and alien stars, but in the velvet embrace of a dark room, a clean bed, and the love of his life.


End file.
